Slovakian goalie David Borak, on the small side but big of heart, stood on his head against Canada to turn a possible blowout into a close 4-2 home team win Monday night at Rogers Place on Day 2 of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Borak was helped by a few goal posts (two by Kirby Dach) but also made 54 stops for the Slovaks, who gave Canada a real scare with third-period goals by Andrej Golian and 19 on Canadian goalie Taylor Gauthier, who toils for the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League.

Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist on Graeme Clarke’s winner in the third as they took a 3-0 lead and held off the underdog Slovaks, who would have lost 10-2 without Borak.

Alberta Junior Hockey League centre Dylan Holloway (Okotoks Oilers) and the Medicine Hat Tigers’ Josh Williams had the other Canadian goals on Borak.

Swiss continue to miss net

In an afternoon game Tuesday before family and friends, winger Lucas Raymond, eligible for the 2020 draft, had two goals, one shorthanded, as Sweden blanked Switzerland 5-0.

That’s two games now in which the Swiss side, small and overmatched, have been out-scored 15-zip. Canada pasted them 10-0 Monday night.

Hlinka cut doesn’t mean derailed career

While there was surprise that probable first-round pick Alex Newhook, who plays in the BCHL league for Victoria Grizzlies, was cut from Team Canada after their evaluation camp, the centre is off to Boston College in the fall of 2020.

It’s hardly a stain on a player’s career if a player doesn’t make the under-18 summer tournament, of course. Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf was cut from the 2002 Canadian squad and one-time Edmonton Oilers first-round draft pick Sam Gagner, now a Vancouver Canuck, didn’t make the 2006 Canadian team.

Trio of NHL rule tweaks being tested

The National Hockey League is looking at three rule wrinkles that the Hlinka Gretzky players will try out.

• A team will lose the opportunity to change lines if a defending player or goaltender unintentionally dislodges the net, augmenting the current rule that a minor penalty will be assessed to any player who deliberately dislodges the net.

• Teams awarded a power play may choose which offensive zone circle the ensuing face-off will occur, regardless of where the penalty was called.

• When the power play team makes its decision, the short-handed team will be allowed to change lines first, followed by a line change by the power play team if necessary.

This ’n that

Louie DeBrusk will apparently be handling colour commentary duties with play-by-play man Kevin Quinn on Edmonton Oilers Sportsnet TV broadcasts this winter with Drew Remenda doing between-periods commentary for their Rogers Place home games. When DeBrusk works a weekend HNIC game, Remenda will be providing colour alongside Quinn … Canadian centre Dylan Holloway (Okotoks, AJHL), who scored Canada’s second goal against the Slovaks, is the only player on the team going the U.S. college route. He’s off to Wisconsin in the fall of 2020. Everett Silvertips have his WHL rights, but he’s going to school … New Tri City Americans coach Kelly Buchberger is scouting the tournament with his general manager, Bob Tory. Bucky has one of Team Canada’s wingers, Sasha Matula … Hockey can be a cruel business: one of the game’s best bird-dogs, Paul Charles, was informed just after the draft that his new Minnesota GM Paul Fenton was making amateur scouting changes and let him go. Charles, who lives here, has been a scout for 37 years. Fenton has brought in his son P.J., who was working for the Oilers last winter … The Oilers have cut back their amateur scouting side, too, with long-timer Bill Dandy, who looked after Quebec, gone as well as Frank Jay, Dave Heitz and Bill McLellan … Slovak winger Maxim Cajkovic, who dazzled in the IIHF’s world under-18 this spring, will be playing for the Saint John Screaming Eagles after being first pick in the Canadian Hockey League’s import draft … Russia’s best forward Vitali Podkolzin, who has two goals and two assists in their first two wins over Finland and the Czechs in Red Deer, was drafted by Medicine Hat in the CHL’s import draft but he likely won’t be coming over … The top Saskatoon Blades pick in the import draft, Swedish defenceman Emil Malysjev, will join them when they come to a contract offer with his agent, former NHLer Michael Nylander.

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